Cabin Fever
by keelan august
Summary: A snowstorm and burgeoning realizations...one of my first fics so pardon the clunkiness.
1. Chapter 1

**Cabin Fever Part Un**

The four boys huddled together under fur-trimmed parkas for warmth. The fire they had so diligently tended to had long spent its life. All that remained were glowing embers. The boys knew they had to coax it back to a blaze soon before it truly died out, but all were too miserably cold to move.

"It's c-c-c-freezing!" Shun moaned, teeth chattering.

"H-h-hai," Mitsuru concurred, burrowing deeper in his cocoon of down and Gortex.

"It's colder than a witch's teat in here!" Hasukawa exploded violently.

"Would you rather we were outside?" Shinobu asked calmly.

"At least someone could see us and save us if we were out there!" the redhead declared hotly.

"If you're so hell-bent on suicide, be my guest. Oh, and before you go, could you blow the fire back up? The rest of us don't have death wishes." Shinobu was suddenly, uncharacteristically sarcastic.

"Damn you, Shinobu!" Hasukawa all but choked on his anger, deliberately dropping the "senpai" honorific in his extreme ire.

"Oh, let's not fight. It's not good, the fighting." Shun wailed, still shivering.

"Yes, there's no use pointing fingers. We're all in this mess together," Mitsuru reached stealthily under cover of the parkas and squeezed Shinobu's hand.

The two combatants grudgingly ceased their wrangling, Hasukawa still muttering darkly under his breath. Shinobu squeezed Mitsuru's hand back. In the sudden silence, the boys listened to the howl of the wind the crack of branches breaking under the heavy weight of snow. What little light to be had from the makeshift fire pit in the center of the room soon dwindled as the last of the embers gave its final gasp.

"Great. Wonderful. Terrific." Hasukawa growled.

"I told him to blow it back up," Shinobu announced to no one in particular.

"Damn you, Shinobu!"

"Silence." Shinobu commanded tonelessly, his implacability firmly in place once more.

For a moment, Hasukawa remembered his place and, if his blood hadn't been rendered sluggish from the intense cold, he would have had the grace to blush. Then the boy thought back to how they had gotten in this situation in the first place, and who had gotten them there, and he scowled unrepentantly. Still, Hasukawa was no fool. So his next remark was barely a whisper.

"Damn you, Shinobu."

The other two, perhaps thinking the same thing as the dorm president, could only shake wretchedly in mute agreement.

**Flashback**

Mitsuru irritatedly hunched his shoulders and walked just a tad bit faster. He had that itching between the shoulder blades that signaled a presence behind him. Yet, when he turned around for the third time, Mitsuru saw no one. Perhaps a flash of orange, a whisper of scurrying feet, but no one of substance. Mitsuru would like to have believed that it was just his imagination, but this feeling had been with him since the bell had rung and he'd left school, and the boy had had too many run-ins with Nagisa's goons to be anything but cautious. The suspicion that he was being followed persisted as he made his way home to the dorm.

"Senpai!" Seemingly out of nowhere, a tuft of orange hair popped up to greet Mitsuru's nose.

"AAAAAHHHH!" The startled boy backed up a few paces, clutching his book bag to his chest.

It was the troll.

"Konichiwa, senpai!" The orange hair was replaced by a largish box thrust hastily into Mitsuru's face.

"Have you been following me?" Mitsuru growled, ignoring the box.

"Hai, senpai." The tone was cheerily unconcerned.

"What do you want?" Mitsuru inched further away from the intruder.

For an answer, the box was shaken silently in front of him, and Mitsuru sighed. He knew he would not be able to get rid of the offensive brat until he accepted the offering. Mitsuru sighed again with exaggerated long-suffering. This was the fifth time that week. The boy held out his hand and gingerly examined the package placed in it.

"You got me a box of chocolates. How…sweet." Mitsuru didn't know what else to say.

It seemed his comment was enough. The little orange-haired pest turned tail and ran as soon as it was obvious that the mission was accomplished. As always, there hadn't been more than a few words exchanged between them.

_I have got to do something about this. It's getting ridiculous. Damn that little troll! I'm being made a laughing-stock at school! I've got to talk to Shinobu; maybe he'll have some ideas on how to get rid of that thing..._

Tucking the unwanted chocolates under his arm, Mitsuru resumed his trek home with purposeful strides.

"But these are really yum, Mitsuru-senpai! If anything else, the troll's got good taste!" Shun snatched the last piece of chocolate from the plastic tray. Hasukawa, who had been leaning over for it as well, glared at his friend. Shun smiled happily back and popped the sweet in his mouth with a great, big smacking of lips.

"I don't care. That misbegotten creature has the entire school pointing fingers and laughing at me. At me!" Mitsuru was properly outraged at the thought of such disrespect.

"I think it's kinda cute, the way the troll follows you around and gives you presents and stuff. Ah, first love!" Shun pretended to swoon, hands clasped to his chest in mock melodrama. Hasukawa, who would normally have smiled at his friend's antics, simply scowled, still sulking over the lost chocolate.

The three boys were sitting conspiratorially around the chabudai in the center of Room 211. They had gathered to wait for Shinobu to return from training the new student council president and Mitsuru had gladly given up his present to his two voracious kouhai in exchange for some company as he vented. It was becoming clear, however, that he would be getting no sympathy from the two younger boys.

"Cute?! Are you out of your mind? How would you like it if some soddy little freshman stalked you all over campus? Everywhere I go, there's the troll. It's like my entire schedule is tattooed in that mindless little noggin. It's eerie."

"Oh, come on, Mitsuru-senpai!" Shun scoffed. "Like you never obsessed over anyone before!"

"Well, yeah. But not over another boy!" the blond exclaimed loudly.

It was at that exact moment that Shinobu walked in the door. The boy's green eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and his hand stilled briefly on the door knob, but otherwise, nothing belied the turmoil that erupted in his heart when he'd overheard his roommate's comment.

"What's up?" Shinobu dropped his book bag on his desk and inquired mildly of the room in general.

"The troll's been bugging Mitsuru-senpai," Hasukawa abandoned his sulking in favor of gossiping.

"And the troll gave him chocolates again," Shun, not to be outdone, offered this piece of news triumphantly.

"White?" Shinobu asked, taking off his jacket and undoing his tie.

"Nope. Dark."

"With cherries in liquor?"

"Yup. It was really yum, Shinobu-senpai!" Shun gushed in remembered pleasure, making Hasukawa scowl again.

"Will you all stop talking about the damned chocolates! I'm the one that's important here!" Mitsuru was having a really bad day.

"My, my. We're a bit testy this evening," Shinobu couldn't resist needling his best friend; he deserved it, after all.

"Shi-no-bu!" Mitsuru whined. "You've got to help me!"

"Yeah, senpai. You'd better do it. And quick. He might burst a blood vessel or something." Shun joined in the teasing.

"Or develop an ulcer," Hasukawa worried uneasily, thinking of his own precarious stomach and completely missing the joke.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I do have something planned…" Shinobu began as he casually slid into the chair by his desk.

"Really? What?" Mitsuru eagerly turned to his roommate, certain that his problems were next to solved.

"I've decided that a trip to the mountains is in order for winter break. My treat." Shinobu announced expansively.

Shun whooped with delight and Hasukawa momentarily forgot his tummy woes and turned his thoughts toward the prospect of snow and freedom and fun and…and trouble. Because, whenever Shinobu "planned" something, trouble always seemed to follow. Hasukawa felt the familiar clenching in his stomach once more and eyed the silver-haired boy warily.

Mitsuru was also looking at his friend with suspicion. "What does that have anything to do with my problem?"

Shinobu sighed patiently. "Nothing. The world does not revolve around you, Mitsuru."

Mitsuru groaned in defeat.

**End flashback**


	2. Chapter 2

Cabin Fever Part Deux 

"My nose is dripping," Hasukawa sniveled.

"I can't feel my nose," Shun wailed.

"Nose? What nose?" Mitsuru lamented.

"Will all of you be quiet for three seconds?" Shinobu ordered peremptorily.

One…two...three…

"My bones ache," Shun wailed.

"You can feel your bones?" Mitsuru asked enviously.

"My nose is dripping," Hasukawa sniveled.

"That's it!"

Exasperated and fed up, Shinobu heaved the parkas off, to the dismay of the others under them. He stalked to the window, arms clutched at his elbows, and peered into the darkness. He had enough of the constant complaints but couldn't really justify being angry at his companions; not when he knew that it was his brilliant plan that had landed them in this rickety mountain shelter in the first place.

The howl of the wind was an insistent clamor that allowed spare comfort. Within the cabin, the noise was only slightly deadened by the weathered logs that held up the ramshackle roof. It was a wonder the whole blasted structure hadn't already fallen into itself and buried its occupants in a pile of brittle wood.

Shinobu wondered if that would be such a bad thing. To die with the three people he cared for most in the world. To envelop them all in his embrace, close his eyes, fall softly asleep and never wake up. And one day, some other hardy mountaineers would stumble upon this decrepit cabin, in search of safe haven from a storm much like this one, and find the skeletal remains of four young men, cut down before their prime by the forces of nature.

_Well, that's a morbid, melodramatic thought_, Shinobu chided himself. _We're nowhere near dying. It's only been a few hours since we got caught by this blizzard. The inn keeper knew we were heading out this way. He'll send someone out for us once the storm eases up._

Having successfully comforted himself on that score, Shinobu found that his mind was now free to wander into other, more precarious realms. He glanced furtively at the huddled mass of misery behind him and noted with amused aggravation that his friends had subsided into uneasy slumber. Mitsuru had even begun to snore.

Ah, Mitsuru! 

Shinobu shivered uncontrollably and longed to join the warmth that those bodies and parkas promised, but he steeled himself and turned away. He needed time to think, and now was a good time as any. The cold would help keep his mind alert, he figured. Shinobu stared blindly out the window, long glazed over with hoar and rime. In its icy opaqueness, the boy spied his reflection mocking him and glared at himself.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did you have to open your big mouth? How could things have spun so out of control so quickly? Because you were thinking with your heart and not your head. Yes, I always seem to do that whenever Mitsuru's concerned. Ah, Mitsuru!_

Shinobu's gaze softened wistfully. His reflection stared back at him in sympathy.

If you only knew… **Flashback**

Shinobu Tezuka was having too much to drink. And he didn't care. It actually interested him to find out how many alcoholic beverages he could combine in his system before his icy control shattered. Call it an experiment in excess. So far, he'd had four beers, three shots of sake and one glass of really cheap red wine. He was currently nursing a paper cup of some sort of orange slushie thing that someone had thrust in his hand. Shinobu didn't know what it was, but it sure was tasty.

"Oi, Shinobu-senpai! Are you feeling all right?" Shun asked as he waved his hand in front of the silver-haired boy's face.

Shinobu blinked. Shun was wearing a bunny suit. The bunny suit was almost the exact same shade as his hair. Shun was a big, fat, pink bunny. Shinobu blinked again.

"Shinobu-senpai?" Shun was beginning to worry at the glazed look in his friend's eyes.

"Do you think he's drunk?" Hasukawa materialized, seemingly out of nowhere to Shinobu's dulled senses.

"Nani?! Shinobu-senpai? But he's never drunk!" Shun looked at the upperclassman in horrified fascination.

"I…am…not…drunk," Shinobu articulated carefully. He took a sip of the orange slushie thing. Why was the big, fat, pink bunny looking so anxious? Did he want Shinobu's orange slushie thing? Should Shinobu share?

"See, Suka-chan? He says he's not drunk," Shun was desperately trying to ignore the obvious sluggishness to Shinobu's speech.

"Look at him, Shun! I don't think he even knows who we are. He's shnockered!" Hasukawa pronounced, but did not attempt to test his theory any further. On the off chance that Shinobu was playing another one of his practical jokes, Hasukawa wanted to stay well away from the boy. "Come on! I'm gonna get another drink myself before Aoki slurps up the rest of the punch bowl."

"Ummm…okay. If you think he's all right. You are all right, aren't you, Shinobu-senpai?" Shun was tempted to join his roommate, but his concern for his senpai made him pause.

"The big, fat, pink bunny is talking to the green cow." Shinobu answered gravely.

Hasukawa rolled his eyes. The redhead didn't trust Shinobu and still thought the older boy was setting him up, so he dragged a still-fussing Shun to the punch bowl and made ready to enjoy the rest of the party. Shinobu pondered their departure bemusedly, wondering why the green cow had looked so affronted. Then he promptly forgot all about it as he took another sip of his orange slushie thing. It really was tasty.

Looking around the common room, Shinobu wondered where Mitsuru had gone off to. His roommate had mumbled something about…about…what? Shinobu shook his head muzzily. He promised himself to remember later; a niggling in the back of his mind told him this was important to do. But for right now, he decided that the pretty twinkling lights of the Christmas tree were more fascinating.

It had always been tradition for the boys of Greenwood to hold a pre-Christmas party at the dorm before they all left to their respective homes or other sundry vacation spots for the winter break; it was their way of celebrating the holidays together. Usually instigated by the dynamic duo, this year the planning had fallen on Hasukawa's shoulders, his being dorm president and all. Besides, Mitsuru had his hands full with troll troubles and Shinobu had developed an apparent preoccupation with some secret that left him more unapproachable than usual. The dorm residents had prudently chosen to hand the party's responsibilities over to their new provost.

Still, Mitsuru and Shinobu were not to be discounted so easily. Once the mundane matters were taken off their hands, they were free to plot outrageous schemes designed to start off the break with a bang. And plot they did. It had been so long since their last caper and it had been so fun that Shinobu had allowed himself to relax for the first time in a while. Letting his guard down proved to be a mistake.

He had spent too much time with Mitsuru, too many late-night meetings and shared whispers in the dark. Too many stolen glances in the middle of class, too many stifled guffaws at a suddenly remembered deviousness. If the student body thought they were close before, that week confirmed them as inseparable. A feeling, unbidden yet not unwelcome, began to work its way into Shinobu's carefully guarded heart.

_But he doesn't like boys_. Shinobu sipped at his slushie sadly, remembering his friend's outrage at the thought of a boy's advances.

_Sigh. I like boys. _

_No_, Shinobu corrected himself. _I don't like boys_.

_I like Mitsuru_.

There, he'd said it. That hadn't been so bad, had it? _I like Mitsuru_. Shinobu rolled the words around in his mind and discovered that he enjoyed the way it tickled his insides and gave him warm fuzzies.

_I must tell him. Then he can have warm fuzzies too. I'll tell him. Now._

Shinobu lurched up, still clutching the slushie-filled paper cup. He staggered slightly, steadied himself on the back of his chair with grave dignity, then proceeded to scour the room for his roommate.

End flashback 


	3. Chapter 3

Cabin Fever Part Trois 

Shinobu never did have a chance to share his warm fuzzy feelings with his roommate. And all for the good, it seemed in hindsight. He didn't think Mitsuru would have agreed to go to the mountains then if Shinobu had been successful in confessing his feelings. Still, the alternative had been no better. The boy winced at his reflection in the window.

Although it pained him to think of it, Shinobu forced himself to quickly catalogue everything that had gone awry from the minute he had found Mitsuru that night. He wished he were a lightweight whose brain mercifully blocked out memories of alcohol-induced ignominies. Then at least he could have feigned ignorance, not only to the others but to himself as well. Alas, it was not meant to be and Shinobu had a very vivid recollection of the party's subsequent events.

Shinobu's Memory of the Debacle 

"Oi, Shinobu! There you are! I can't believe how easy it was! No one even thought twice about the last-minute swap. In fact, even the dorm lady fell for it."

"Hmmmm…"

"Shinobu, what's wrong? You look a little green."

"Winging whispers into my skull, the serpent breathes in twilight's lull."

"What?!"

"Then cherubs dangle from cherry tress while whores pluck lyres on bended knees."

"Shin, what are you saying? Is this some sort of secret code?"

"Oi, Mitsuru-senpai. There you are! And you found Shinobu-senpai. Good. I was worried earlier, but Suka-chan said he was okay. Is he okay?"

"Shun, do you know how much he's had to drink tonight?"

"And summer kites trip in the sky while London's scum goes scurrying by…"

"What's Shinobu-senpai saying?"

"I told you he was shnockered!"

"Mitsuru-senpai, I think Suka-chan's right. Shinobu-senpai was not looking too good a while ago."

"And lover's stroll with souls entwined…"

"Did he just say lovers'?"

"…while transients piss where once kings dined!"

"I think he's rhyming. I didn't know Shinobu-senpai could be so…articulate."

"Or so loud. Hasukawa, Shun! Help me get him out of here before he attracts any more attention."

"And virgins' feet drown in emerald grasses while trolls lift skirts and finger up their…"

"NOW, boys!"

A hand was clamped firmly on Shinobu's mouth and he was dragged hastily from the common room. Oddly enough, the boy's vociferous verses did not even elicit a single stare from the other revelers. In fact, it seemed the party had escalated into a chaotic affair of drunken singing and maudlin weeping. At any other time, Hasukawa and Shun would have wondered at their friends' behaviours, but now, they were too busy helping Mitsuru lead his roommate out to the porch for some fresh air.

Once there, Mitsuru dropped Shinobu unceremoniously on the stoop and wiped his brow. Though slight in build, Shinobu had been a dead weight in his friend's arms.

"Okay, someone tell me what he's been drinking!"

"Well, I got him the first beer. And I think Suka-chan gave him two more, ne?"

"Hai. But that's all, I swear!"

"It's okay, Hasukawa. I believe you. You can stop cowering now. Hmmm, what's that in his hand?"

"I think it's a cup of that orange slush thing from the punch bowl…Mitsuru-senpai? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Shun, did you just say orange slush thing'?"

"Hai. Is that bad?"

"No, no, no, no…"

"Mitsuru-senpai?"

"You forgot?! Shinobu, you idiot! I can't believe you forgot! I told you not to drink it! I told you I was going to switch it already! Baka, baka, bak…"

"Care to tell your dorm president what's going on here?"

"Suka-chan, shush! You can be so officious sometimes! Mitsuru-senpai, did you put something in the punch bowl?"

"..ka…huh? Oh, um…punch bowl? Me? Something in the punch bowl? What makes you say that?"

The two younger boys proceeded to admonish the unrepentant culprit while his cohort gracefully, silently slid off the stoop and fell flat on his face in the shrubbery.

_And really, that's all I remember. Thank God!_

Shinobu clasped his hands together and blew into them. His gloves had given off as much heat as they could, exposed as they were, and the boy was finally beginning to feel the intense chill in the room. But he endured it, refusing to give in to the temptation of snuggling under the parkas with his friends. He considered it his penance.

Shinobu didn't know if he had said anything else besides that piece of drivel he had bawled out at the party. He hoped not. He hoped he hadn't inadvertently blurted out something stupid like "Mitsuru, I love you" in his drunken stupor. He didn't think so.

Still, after the party and then during the trip to the resort, it seemed Mitsuru had become prone to giving him covert glances when he thought Shinobu's attention was elsewhere. He was wrong, of course. Shinobu was always hyper-aware of everything his roommate said or did. So Mitsuru's secret scrutiny had not gone unnoticed.

Shun and Hasukawa were oblivious, as per usual. The two younger boys had simply been too excited at the prospect of fun and freedom in the snow, and all at the expense of their beloved senpai. The promise of two weeks away from school and dorm food was enough to put Shun and Hasukawa in vacation heaven.

Their enthusiasm was infectious in its own way, and Shinobu had managed to set aside the slight twinges of irritation at the thought of the two boys' company. He had really planned the trip on the spur of the moment, galvanized into action by the jealousy that had irrationally surged in him when he had spied the empty chocolate box. Shinobu had thought it would have been the perfect opportunity to get Mitsuru alone to discuss his burgeoning feelings for the boy.

_Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men…_Shinobu thought wryly to himself._ How was I supposed to know that Shun and Hasukawa had no plans for break either? And that they would assume they were invited? Come to think of it, did I invite them? No, I distinctly recall never mentioning that they were invited._

Still, Hasukawa and Shun did provide welcome distraction from Shinobu's preoccupation. They had all spent that first week tromping through snow drifts, starting impromptu snowball battles, sneaking into the inn's kitchens for late-night hot cocoa adventures and enjoying other various activities that warranted normal teen-age boy fun.

But Shinobu had not forgotten his original purpose in planning the trip in the first place. By the second week, he had screwed his courage to the sticking point enough that he had been ready to divulge his growing attraction to his roommate, Hasukawa and Shun be damned. He had had secret conferences with the indulgent inn keeper, who seemed to know more than he was letting on, and had received some priceless information. A two-mile trek higher up the mountain led to a secluded cabin that seemed perfect for Shinobu's needs.

So Shinobu had casually suggested the hike to his friend. Mitsuru had heartily agreed, but his seeming innocence to Shinobu's ulterior motives had panicked the boy at the last minute, and Shinobu had exhorted the two younger ones to accompany them. Shun and Hasukawa had vehemently argued against going. They were too busy cajoling the inn keeper's daughter for sleigh rides and sweets. But Shinobu had persisted in that inexorable way of his and the two had finally, grudgingly relented. Hasukawa, especially, was not pleased by this turn of events and had grumbled all the way up the mountain.

Then the storm had hit.

And the cabin had proved to be nothing more than a temporary shelter for hunters; it had not meant to be a cozy lovers' nest as Shinobu had been led to believe. There was no hearth, no furniture to speak of; just a rickety square box with chinks in the logs that allowed the harsh wind access into its interior. Thank the fates that the last person who had sought haven in its depths had had the courtesy to provide he cabin's next occupants with a stack of twigs and deadwood, which the boys had found in the corner of the room.

They had hastily dug up a sketchy firepit in the dirt-packed center of the room, and Shun, ever-practical, had produced a used book of matches from his pockets. Shinobu had despaired. He didn't know how long the storm would last and their supply of matches and wood could, in all probability, run out before someone could rescue them. Hasukawa had noticed this too, and had been glaring daggers at his senpai ever since.

Which brings us back to the present.

Shinobu transferred his hands under his armpits and stamped his feet to ward off the numbness developing there. The storm seemed to be letting up a bit; the wind no longer howled as loudly as it had been. How long had they been gone? How long before the inn keep got worried enough to send someone to find them? It seemed like they'd been stuck in the cabin for an eternity. Shinobu was beginning to develop slight claustrophobia in the dark, close quarters.

He turned away from the window, sick of staring at his reflection, and was startled out of his reverie by the sight of a pair of amethyst eyes blinking sleepily at him. Mitsuru was awake.

"Shinobu…?"

_I could plummet into those eyes and never come back up again._

The boys exchanged a long, searching look. Shinobu felt naked under that piercing perusal.

"Shinobu, come back to bed."

"What?!" Shinobu blanched in stunned incomprehension.

"I said, come back under the parkas. It's freezing! Are you crazy?"

Oh. Of course. Mitsuru hadn't really said what he thought – what he wished – he said. Duh.

However, Shinobu had had enough of contemplation. He was really more of a doer than a thinker. The time and setting couldn't have been more conducive to heartfelt confessions. It was dark and private (Hasukawa and Shun were still asleep) and silent. The wind had ceased whistling through the cracks in the walls. The world was breathless, waiting.

"Mitsuru," Shinobu began, moving toward the other boy, "I have something to tell you."

"Hai?" Was that hope in Mitsuru's face? Was that an eager, expectant glimmer in his amethyst eyes? Was Shinobu on drugs?

"Mitsuru, I think I lo---"

A sudden rumbling disruption from outside shattered the moment.

_Of course. Perfect. Couldn't have planned this better._

"Ho, the cabin!" A loud, booming voice hailed and the door to the cabin sprang open as a burly, hooded figure entered abruptly. It was immediately followed by a smaller, but no less bundled figure who took off an orange muffler that matched his hair.

"The troll!" Hasukawa and Shun chorused in amazement, having awoken at the sound of the Range Rover's approach.

Mitsuru gaped as his nemesis grinned cheerily from the doorway. Shinobu felt his stomach churn in frustration.

_The fifth ring_, Shinobu closed his eyes briefly. _I'm in the fifth ring of hell_.


	4. Chapter 4

Cabin Fever Part Quatre 

"…and so the inn keep figured you boys would find this shelter okay so I waited for the storm to die down before revving up the Rover. My boy said he was a classmate of yours and insisted on coming along."

The troll smiled beatifically at the group and inched closer to a still-aghast Mitsuru who had opted to forego the warmth of the fire pit in the hopes that his stalker would leave him alone in the cold corner. He was sadly mistaken.

"Your boy?" Shinobu prompted, curious.

"Yes, my Kenji. He came home for the holidays a week early. He does that to help me out since the mountains are a popular spot this time of the year. We get a lot of emergency calls, you know."

The troll was now shoulder to shoulder with Mitsuru and was worshipfully gazing at the older boy. Mitsuru cast a beseeching look at his roommate which Shinobu studiously ignored.

"We thank you for your quick actions. As you saw, our fire was gone and we were beginning to worry," Shinobu graciously commended the search and rescue chief.

The man beamed heartily and crouched forward to feed the fire with more kindling. The pit now had a merry blaze going and the cabin was finally living up to its name. Sitting quite close to the welcome heat were Shun and Hasukawa. Both boys had eagerly absconded with the blankets provided by their rescuer and were now doing admirable impressions of moths drawn to a flame.

"Anyway, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, especially after what you boys have been through, but we have a slight problem," the chief looked apologetic.

"Oh?" Shinobu cocked an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Well, the storm isn't over, you see. This is just a lull. Weather reports say snow's coming thick and fast in about another half an hour; won't let up till tomorrow once it starts."

"Yes?" Shinobu's innards began to perform cautious cartwheels even as his face slipped into a neutral mask of politeness.

"Yes, well," the chief glanced about nervously. "The Rover can't really be weighted down too much or it'd sink in the snow drifts. And really, my Kenji said that there would only be the two of you, else I would've brought another vehicle. As it is, I can only take two back and I'll have to come back for the others tomorrow."

Shinobu's innards proceeded to gleefully enact a mad circus performance, complete with tumblers and somersaults. It was all the boy could do to keep his face calm and steady.

"I have enough supplies to keep two of you comfortable until I get back, of course. It's not as if I'd be leaving you to suffer or anything…" the chief was now clearly uncomfortable at his lack of professionalism.

"You prepared as best you could, under the circumstances. And if it's only a day, I'm sure two of us can manage. Now, we just have to decide who's going and who's staying…" Shinobu began.

"I'm going!" Hasukawa immediately discarded his blanket and bounded to the door.

"Um…me, too?" Shun was a trifle slower, but no less eager to leave than his roommate. He did have the grace, however, to look pleadingly at his senpai for approval.

The troll – er, Kenji – had scrambled up from his position by Mitsuru upon hearing his father's announcement, and was now tugging at his idol's parka sleeve. "Dad, I think Mitsuru-senpai needs medical attention. He should go with us first."

"No, no, no!" the boy in question shook his head hastily. "I'm perfectly fine. Shun and Hasukawa should go first. Ladies and children, right?"

"That only works on boats, Mitsuru," Shinobu corrected softly.

"Right. But we should be the ones to stay, ne? We have much more experience with…um…with…with forest things!" Mitsuru gabbled in wide-eyed desperation. He so did not want to be in the same car with the troll for any extended period of time.

"Besides, look at them! Shun and Hasukawa look ready to expire from hunger!"

Mitsuru's anxiety transmitted itself clearly to the ever-perceptive Shun, who suddenly plastered a woebegone expression on his face and clutched at his stomach piteously. The pink-haired boy glanced at his roommate out of the corner of his eye then jabbed him in the stomach with an elbow. Hasukawa took the hint and screwed his face up in a mock grimace of pain.

The chief scratched his head. "Well, if you boys think you'll be okay…"

"Hai, sensei. We'll be fine. If it'll make you feel better, you can leave us with your radio and if there's any problem, we can contact you immediately."

Shinobu told the happy acrobats in his stomach to calm down so that he could reassure the chief with what he hoped looked like earnest concern. It was really hard when all he wanted to do was jump up and down and scream hallelujah at the top of his lungs. All of you…GET OUT! Then I can finally be alone with Mitsuru!

While everyone else seemed frozen in indecision, Hasukawa took matters into his own hands. He wrested the radio from the chief's belt and handed it to Shinobu. Then he gathered up the blankets he and Shun had been swaddled in and handed those to Mitsuru whose back seemed permanently plastered to the wall in a vain attempt at staying away from the troll. Hasukawa saved him further unease by collaring a forlorn Kenji and yanking the orange-haired boy to the door.

On his way there, he exchanged glances with Shinobu. The silver-haired boy opened his mouth to say something but Hasukawa raised his free hand to stop him.

"Don't talk to me. I haven't forgiven you yet."

Then Hasukawa Kazuya, with a struggling Kenji in tow, stalked out haughtily, slamming the door behind him.

"Umm, maybe he really is hungry," Shun said in way of an apology, then scurried after his roommate in case the wrath of Shinobu materialized.

He needn't have worried. If everyone present had been privy to the riotous revelry going on inside Shinobu, they would have expired in astonishment. As it was, the devilish schemer schooled his face to a placid mask and conscientiously herded the chief out the door, soothing the man's misgivings with aplomb.

It was suddenly cold as they stepped out. Shinobu had almost forgotten the sharp bite of the winter storm after having spent the past fifteen minutes ensconced in relative warmth. He stood in the doorway to prevent any more heat from escaping and waved as the chief gunned the Rover and trundled down the path. From the back seat, Hasukawa turned and stuck out his tongue.

_That boy is pushing his luck._

Shinobu sighed then reentered the cabin, pulling the door closed gently behind him. After the flurry of noise and activity, the silence which descended upon the cabin's remaining occupants felt unbearable. Shinobu focused all his attention on sauntering with studied nonchalance toward the center of the room. He held out his hands to the fire, unaware that the flames licking up cast intriguing shadows upon the sharp planes of his face.

"Shinobu, anything wrong? Did you want to go first?" Mitsuru edged away from the wall and approached his friend guiltily.

_Clueless. The boy is utterly clueless_.

The silver-haired boy raised his eyes to slam into Mitsuru's sheepish ones. He really had no idea. Mitsuru really didn't know why he had been invited to the mountains, why he was the one stuck here alone with his roommate, how much effort it had taken said roommate to perpetuate this little scenario. Shinobu quailed briefly. So he had been wrong; Mitsuru hadn't been giving him surreptitious glances or sharing his treacherous thoughts. This was going to be harder than Shinobu had anticipated, but it had to be done. He had to tell Mitsuru before he was driven insane by the "should I/shouldn't I" debate that played a constant ping-pong in his mind.

It was now or never.


	5. Chapter 5

Cabin Fever Part Cinque 

"No, I didn't want to go first."

"Well, then. Guess we better go through all the supplies Takahashi-sensei left for us, ne?"

Mitsuru hunkered down by the fire and cheerfully plundered the rucksack the chief had left, along with the generous supply of firewood. He emerged with some granola bars and grinned, waggling the goodies in front of Shinobu's face.

Shinobu smiled reluctantly. So Mitsu wasn't going to make this easy. Fine. They had all night, if the growing bay of the rising winds were any indication. Shinobu left his spot by the door and joined his friend in demolishing the food provided.

Five granola bars and two mugs of steaming coffee later found the two sitting side by side in companionable silence by the fire. Mitsuru had drawn the blankets over their legs and was currently playing with his empty plastic mug. He tossed it lightly from hand to hand and if Shinobu wasn't mistaken, it looked as if the boy was also tossing about something in his head.

Before Shinobu could broach the subject, Mitsuru beat him to the punch.

"Shin, what were you going to tell me before the troll and his dad walked in?"

"Ah…"

It was the perfect opening. They were both relaxed and replete with food and warmth. The crackling fire, their only source of light, made Shinobu feel as if they were marooned on a tiny island of tranquil heat as they huddled together in front of it. It should have been the perfect opening.

But Shinobu had lost his momentum. He had been so ready twenty minutes ago but they had been busy setting themselves up for the night and when that was all done, they had slipped back into the easy camaraderie of innocent roommates. Even Mitsuru's initiation of the topic was spoken with casual ingenuousness. Shinobu feared rejection. He feared the deafening crash of his breaking heart.

"Don't worry about it, Mitsuru. It was nothing important." _Just a deep, powerful love for you_.

"Oh, okay. If you're sure..?" _He keeps his secrets so close to his chest._

"I'm sure. Hand me another log, ne? I don't want this fire to die down." _Not the way this fire inside me seems to be dwindling._

"Hai. So, what shall we do while we wait?" _If you tell me your secret, I'll tell you mine_.

"Well, we could discuss your troll problems which you seem unable to get away from." _And which apparently gives you a sense of repulsion, thinking about another boy liking you._

"Are you sure you're up to studying that tonight?" _Why are you skirting the issue? Isn't this what we've been waiting all week for? Don't you like me anymore?_

"No, I suppose you're right." _I need to get away from you. Your scent, your skin…you're driving me crazy!_

"Shin, you really need to come back here. It's cold. And it's not like you can see anything out that window anyway." _You are so beautiful and you don't even know it. I could stare at the curve of your spine forever._

"The moon looks exceptionally full tonight." _Do you know how tempting you are, your voice cajoling me with its soft cadence? I can't look at you right now; I might shatter into a thousand pieces_.

"You can see the moon?" _You may have changed your mind. I could've been just a passing fancy. I probably misheard those words you said when I took you to our room that night you got drunk_.

Mitsuru left the warmth of fire and blankets and crept to the window by his friend. Shinobu stood stiffly, arms to his sides, fingers slightly curled as if half-tempted to clench into fists. The words exchanged felt awkward and Shinobu wondered where the easy camaraderie had gone. They mentally shied away from each other – two people performing a stilted dance.

"Hai. It's beautiful." _Listen to me. Just listen to my words, taste their nuances, feel the meaning that runs deeper than vowels and consonants of sound._

"The clouds will cover it soon, though." _Turn to me. Look at me. Reassure me that this is real. This. You. And me._

"Mitsuru…" Shinobu, as if he had read his friend's mind, turned away from the window and faced the other boy. Their gazes locked.

It was as if they had never been interrupted. The same eager look was on Mitsuru's face. A dawning comprehension and awe danced upon Shinobu's. They shared an unspoken, breathless second of illumination. And in that briefest of moments, when their minds and hearts joined in exquisite synchronicity, Shinobu felt like flying.

He raised a tentative hand to Mitsuru's face and pressed it to his cheek in wonderment. His movement was smooth and uninterrupted by irrelevant motion. Touching the smooth skin at long last felt incredibly hedonistic, and Shinobu paused and closed his eyes, his heart full.

Mitsuru countered his move as he placed his own hand on top of his friend's. The strength and certainty of this act, coupled with his drawing even closer so that only a whisper separated them, was almost Shinobu's undoing. He opened his eyes once more, a glimmer of moisture lurking in their grey-green depths.

"I think I love you." Shinobu breathed softly.

"You think?" Mitsuru answered, equally as soft.

Letting go of Shinobu's hand on his cheek, the blond-haired boy gently cupped his friend's face between his two. Tilting it to meet his own, drawing nearer to lips that quivered slightly, Mitsuru wanted nothing more than to cherish this vessel that so adequately housed the other half of his soul.

Shinobu was fiercely moved by the sweet sincerity of his touch. He wanted to capture this memory in a little box and lock it away safely where no one could ever take it from him. Nothing could compare to this bliss, this tender torture of waiting. He knew the kiss was a surety, but it was this right-before, this almost-there, that Shinobu would treasure forever.

"I know. I know I love you."

The words trembled in the diminishing space between them.

"I love you too."

It was a mutual magic. Neither one knew nor cared who was in control. Reason ceased to be. All that remained was unutterable rapture. Eyes closed to shut out the fire, the moon, the cabin, so that all sensation was solely centered on the sensual convergence of lips against lips. Mitsuru dropped his hands from the other's face, clutched at his friend's shoulders and pulled Shinobu deeper into the kiss. Shinobu responded with fervent ardor, wrapping his arms around the lithe, lean body so gloriously pressed against his.

Mouths parted slowly, tongues artlessly entwined. Hands restlessly roamed a back, an arm, a thigh. The tenderness was slowly, inexorably being replaced by a ferocious lust, long held in check and now threatening to break free. It was getting warmer in the cabin. Clothes suddenly seemed unnecessary.

Shinobu tugged at Mitsuru's shirt; Mitsuru did the same with Shinobu's sweater. They drew apart reluctantly so Shinobu could lift his sweater over his head, and Mitsuru took the opportunity to undress himself as well. Hastily, frantically, they discarded anything that obstructed flesh against warm flesh. It would have been comedy if not for the electric charge of unspent desire in the air.

But when he got to the waistband of his boxers, Shinobu paused. _Is this what he wants…?_

The other boy did not give him time to analyze the situation to death. Already naked, tanned skin gleaming in the firelight, Mitsuru seized his lover in a vise-like grip, effectively pinioning Shinobu to his muscled chest. He groaned deep in his throat at the feel of the boy's responsive body, and captured that errant mouth with his own once more.

Shinobu gave up thinking. Their lips still locked, he shucked off his boxers with abandon then pulled Mitsuru toward the fire, nearer the heat. They stumbled over the rucksack and fell, limbs entwined, on top of parkas and blankets.

It was a wild coupling, a feverish release of pent-up longing and frustration. They gasped and touched and clutched and kissed. They took turns adoring each other's bodies with questing tongues and insatiable fingers. They strained together then pulled apart in an erotic dance of give and take. Their bodies moved instinctively, fitting together in tight, dark, secret places. And at the moment of complete unity, they shivered in each other's arms, almost afraid of the maelstrom of unadulterated passion that promised to engulf them.

"Shin…?" Mitsuru begged desperately.

"Yes!"

The initial pain was soon forgotten, eclipsed by the crescendo of release and fulfillment.

Outside, the wind continued to roar dully, its fury still in full force. Snow fell in blinding whiteness and piled high on the ground, efficiently covering the earth with dangerous beauty. Inside the cabin, however, all was warmth and woozy contentment. The fire crackled and spit while Shinobu nestled in the arms of his lover, body still slick with sweat and semen. Mitsuru had piled the blankets on top of them, and both boys glowed in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

"You said you didn't like boys," Shinobu whispered drowsily as he stared into the fire.

"I don't like boys, Shin. I love you," was Mitsuru's inscrutable retort.

The silver-haired boy accepted this remark with satisfaction then stretched languidly, arching his back so that he pressed even closer to his lover's chest. "And you do it so well," he replied in a suggestive purr.

"Hai," Mitsuru was smug.

They listened to the howl of the wind, unmindful now of the drafts that crept in through the chinks in the logs. They were immune to the cold, wrapped as they were in a possessive embrace. The couple knew there was more to be said, more to be explained, before they could slip comfortably into the skin of this new relationship. But that could wait till the morning.

Shinobu got bored staring at the fire, and a devilish smirk crept up his face. Pretending to stretch again, he nudged at Mitsuru with his buttocks. The answering arousal that met him made Shinobu grin even wider.

"Mitsu, can we do it again?"

In response, Mitsuru expertly flipped his lover to face him and ravaged his mouth hungrily. Shinobu sighed.

"I can taste tomorrow in your kiss."


	6. Chapter 6

Cabin Fever Epilogue/Song fic 

when i see you sky as a kite as high as i might i can't get that high 

the how you move the way you burst the clouds it makes me want to try 

"Suka-chan, have you noticed something different between those two?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the way they can never be apart for more than five seconds, or maybe the way they keep looking all googly-eyed at each other?"

"Shun, do you realize that you've just described two people in love?"

"Suka-chan, you can't possibly be that dense!"

The two boys eyed each other cattily over the remains of a half-eaten breakfast. It was their last day at the inn and they had thought to fill their bellies as full of scrumptious non-dorm food as they could. As usual, their eyes proved bigger than their stomachs.

"I am not dense!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too! Look at them, Suka, and I mean, really look!" Shun, exasperated beyond belief, grabbed his roommate's head and swiveled it around to face the window.

Outside, the sky was icy blue and the ground was a pristine sheet of unsullied white. The storm had spent its last vestiges of fierceness the previous night and the sun had been finally allowed to come out and play. Tall trees bent benevolently under the slight weight of snow and the stray bird or two that boldly dared to leave nests in exchange for freedom and flight.

Romping in the midst of this idyll were Shinobu and Mitsuru. They were heaving fistfuls of snow at each other, laughing and snickering when one or the other fell in over-exuberance. The falling down seemed the best part of the game. For when one boy toppled, the other pounced him with mad glee, and then would ensue a tickling and rolling about and more giggles until both would lay, exhausted, on the ground, arms outstretched as if to embrace the world.

"They're playing, Shun. It's our last day here. Of course they'd play," Hasukawa dismissed the scene and turned his attentions back to his miso soup.

"Since when have you ever seen Shinobu-senpai playing? Or giggling, for that matter?" Shun challenged.

Hmmm, the boy had a point. Hasukawa put his bowl down and looked more carefully at his two friends.

when i see you sticky as lips as licky as trips i can't lick that far 

but when you pout the way you shout out loud it makes me want to start 

"They're watching us again, aren't they?" Mitsuru closed his eyes to the sun beating down on his face.

"Hmmm." Shinobu murmured beside him, uncaring.

"Let's give them something to see, shall we?" The mischievous, lopsided grin that suddenly skipped onto the blonde's face made Shinobu's loins tighten.

"What were you thinking exactly?"

"Mind if I take off all your clothes and kiss you in that spot that made you scream last time?"

"I do not scream, and yes, I mind."

"Are you ashamed of me?" Mitsuru swiveled his head to face his lover. The question was made half in jest and half in seriousness.

"Never, koi." Shinobu answered without looking at the boy. Rather, to emphasize his point, he reached over and squeezed Mitsuru's hand in his. "I just want to save you from unhappiness."

"How so?"

"Well, if I got naked right now, I run the risk of frostbite to several places on my body which, I'm sure, you'd find more interesting if they were operational."

"Tease!" Mitsuru rolled over and began poking at his lover's kidneys.

"Oi, Mitsu! You know that tickles!" Shinobu was stranded on his back in helpless laughter.

"That's what makes it so fun!" Mitsuru straddled the boy and began the tickling in earnest.

and when i see you happy as a girl that swims in a world of magic show 

it makes me bite my fingers through to think i could have let you go 

"I told you! Now do you believe me?"

"But that's…they're…Mitsuru-senpai said he wasn't…"Hasukawa was a blathering idiot.

"Suka-chan, think about it! You've known them for two years now. Have they ever been in a serious relationship? And Mitsuru-senpai never cared about those junior high girls who kept waiting for him at the gates. And remember when they hugged when we were filming that movie? They held on for just a teensy bit longer than necessary. And then there was the time…"

"Stop it! Stop it, Shun! I don't want to think about it!" Hasukawa dropped his head in his arms in abject denial.

"How can you be so judgmental, Suka-chan?" Shun was righteous in indignation. "They've been nothing but supportive and kind and generous to you since the day you stepped into Greenwood. They don't deserve your censure, not now when they need us the most."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if this is your reaction to it, how do you think the others will be when we go home?" Shun thought about this himself and frowned worriedly.

"They could keep it a secret," Hasukawa suggested eagerly.

"And make it seem as if what they're doing is wrong? Absolutely not! They're in love, Suka. That's an important thing." Shun's eyes glazed over as the weight of this knowledge bore down on him. Then he shrugged his shoulders as if he'd made up his mind.

"Hai. Love is an important thing. And we're gonna make sure that nothing and no one ruins it for them!"

"We? Why me?" Hasukawa wailed.

and when i see you take the same sweet steps you used to take 

i'll say i'll keep on holding you my arms so tight i'll never let you slip away 

"We're going to have problems, aren't we?"

"When we get home?"

"Then. And every day after then."

"Problems between us?" Shinobu was being deliberately dense.

"Of course not! You know what I mean." Mitsuru sat up and brushed the snow from his parka. He watched as Shinobu stood to do the same.

"Do you want us to stop?" The silver-haired boy glanced at his lover then walked off a ways, as if afraid of the answer.

Mitsuru's eyes tracked his progress through the snow. God, but he loved to watch him move! Then the blonde paused his admiration to give Shinobu's question the serious reflection it warranted. He looked at his gloved hands clasped loosely in front of him, then pushed them off his knees to stand. He followed Shinobu quietly, stealthily, and surprised him when he hugged him from behind.

"I never want us to stop. I never want to be without you. I love you." Mitsuru whispered, holding the boy tightly in his arms.

"Mitsu…"

"Hai?"

"I can't breathe."

and when i see you kitten as a cat yeah as smitten as that i can't get that small 

the way you fur the how you purr it makes me want to paw you all 

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Ohayo, Kenji!" Shun was all smiles and cat-like smugness.

"Ohayo. So what are you talking about?" The orange-haired boy was single-minded as usual.

Hasukawa stood from the table, lips pursed in disapproval. For all he knew, this boy, this little troll, had been the start of it all. Why, if Kenji Takahashi hadn't given Mitsuru-senpai those chocolates and put ideas in his head, none of this would have happened! Hasukawa still swam in denial.

"None of your business!" Hasukawa said brusquely.

"Oh." The little freshman was blindly unconcerned. It sort of reminded Shun of his roommate. And if the hair were a tad bit darker, they would look alike too. Shun snickered.

"Do you know where Mitsuru-senpai's gone off to? I wanted to give him this before you all left!"

Hasukawa growled. In Kenji's hand was another damnable box of chocolates. Hmmm, were they the dark ones with the cherries in liquor? Never mind that! The troll had gifted one too many boxes of evil temptation! He had to be stopped.

Before Hasukawa could vent his ire, Shun defused his roommate by taking matters into his own hands. With a sad compassion, Shun wheeled Kenji around by the shoulders to face the window. The little freshman may have been guileless, but he wasn't stupid. It took him less time than had Hasukawa to realize what he was looking at. The joy and love the couple shared as they frolicked in the snow was palpable even to the watchers inside.

A dawning comprehension mingled with true sorrow etched the boy's face, making him look older. The box slipped from his fingers as Kenji clutched the edge of the table to steady himself. Shun longed to cuddle the boy and tell him that everything would be okay, but he didn't want to take away the freshman's dignity. The orange-haired boy bowed his head in despair.

"Oh. I see." Tears sprang to Kenji's eyes as the other two witnessed his struggle for control. He looked to be succeeding when a sudden shout outside made them all turn to peer out the window once more.

Mitsuru had Shinobu locked in a bear hug and Shinobu was thrashing about in mock anger. Then, giving up, Shinobu opted to free himself by using more persuasive methods. In plain view of the sun, the birds and the three boys at the window, Shinobu craned his neck and planted a firm, undeniable kiss on Mitsuru's mouth.

Kenji let out an inarticulate moan and ran from the room, unable to bear it any longer. Shun's heart went out to the poor boy even as he sighed in relief knowing that this was one less problem his senpais had to deal with.

"Hey!" Hasukawa's voice was indignant.

"What now?" Shun rolled his eyes and asked his roommate wearily.

"He took my spork! That little troll bastard took my spork!"

and when i see you happy as a girl that lives in a world of make-believe 

it makes me pull my hair all out to think i could've let you leave 

"We've got to go soon, you know. We have to catch the train back home."

"I know. I wish we didn't have to."

"Me too."

"So what are we going to do when we get back?"

"I'm open to suggestions."

"You mean the mighty and all-knowing Shinobu Tezuka has no master plan up his sleeve?"

"My sleeves are plan-less today."

"We should have a big coming-out party. I want the whole world to know how we feel for each other." Mitsuru flung his arms out expansively and breathed deep the mountain air. Then he glanced slyly at his lover. "Plus, I really am curious to see Hasukawa's face when we finally admit to it."

"I think he already knows, Mitsu. We haven't exactly been circumspect today."

"True. I'm gonna squeeze out every delicious detail from Shun later tonight. I wonder how much his nose bled?"

"You are truly a creature of evil, Mitsuru."

"I've learned from the best, Shinobu."

The two boys exchanged rueful grins.

"You're glowing, you know."

"You make me sound like I'm pregnant or something." Shinobu pouted, uncharacteristically petulant.

"You're still glowing," Mitsuru insisted, loving the way the other boy could so easily let his guard down after only such a brief time since their new-found intimacy had begun.

"You think anyone else will notice?"

"Well, if they do, we can tell them it's all because of our secret love affair."

"Then it wouldn't be a secret any longer, would it," Shinobu chided gently.

Mitsuru looked at him with slow-smiling eyes. "You know, I think I like you a lot better when you're sober."

Shinobu glared. "I did say something that night, didn't I?"

"Maybe."

"Tell me!"

"What do I get if I tell?"

"What do you want?"

"You."

"The walls at the dorm are paper thin, you know."

Mitsuru snickered wickedly. "Ah, Hasukawa's virgin ears…I can't wait!"

and when i see you take the same sweet steps you used to take 

i know i'll keep on holding you in arms so tight they'll never let you go 


End file.
